Florida Deepwater Horizon Response July 10, 2010

TALLAHASSEE – Under the leadership of Governor Charlie Crist, the State Emergency Response Team and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are actively coordinating and responding to the Deepwater Horizon incident.

The following is a summary of state and BP response actions to date, as well as tips for residents and visitors to take precautions both pre and post-landfall.

Landfall Reports and Predictions:

• Tar balls, tar patties and sheen continue to be reported in Northwest Florida, although fewer impacts have been observed in the last several days. View the latest reconnaissance reports here.
• Continued impacts will be possible in Northwest Florida over the next 72 hours, likely in the form of tar balls and tar patties.
• Nearly 90 percent of Florida’s more than 1,260 miles of coastline remains unimpacted.
• If oil is sighted on Florida’s coastline report it to the State Warning Point at 1-877-2-SAVE-FL (1-877-272-8335) or by dialing #DEP from most cell phones.
• Pensacola Pass as well as Perdido Pass will continue to be closed with the tide to reduce the amount of oil entering inland waters. These waterways are manned to allow access to necessary vessel traffic and are open for vessel traffic during low tide. See NOAA tide predictions.
• Observations by NOAA continue to indicate no significant amounts of oil moving toward the Loop Current. The Loop Current Ring, a circular current which was formerly part of the Loop Current provides no clear path for oil to enter the Florida Straits.
• There have been no reports of Deepwater Horizon oil spill-related products reaching the shore beyond the Northwest Florida region. There is no indication that the rest of the state will have impacts from weathered oil products within the next 72 hours.

No significant tropical activity is expected in the next 48 hours.

On Site Actions:

• Current projections estimate Deepwater Horizon’s discharge at 35,000 to 60,000 barrels per day. Learn more.
• BP is continuing its efforts to contain the leak and capture a substantial amount of leaking oil from the use of the Lower Marine Riser Package (LMRP) Cap Containment System. Get daily oil collection numbers here.
• On July 9, National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen approved BP’s plan to simultaneously install the Helix Producer and “capping stack” containment mechanisms, which will require temporary suspension of the current top hat containment system. Learn More.
• BP continues efforts to drill two relief wells.

State Actions:

• The State Emergency Operations Center is activated at Level 1.
• Five state-leased skimmers continue to operate in Northwest Florida to protect sensitive inland water bodies. These skimmers are operating at the passes in Escambia, Okaloosa, Bay, Gulf and Franklin Counties.
• On July 8, Governor Crist assisted with the release of three pied-billed grebes at Lake Talquin State Forest near Tallahassee. The oiled birds were rescued from beaches on Perdido Key, Miramar and Gulf Breeze. Learn more.
• Two Florida branch offices committed to oil spill response are open in Northwest Florida. The Pensacola branch office, which serves both Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, and the Destin branch office, which serves both Okaloosa and Walton counties, brings together federal, state and local agencies to streamline response efforts. These branch offices will be followed by additional branch offices that will serve Bay and Gulf/Franklin/Wakulla/Jefferson counties. Learn more.

DEP continues to conduct water sampling monitoring to establish baseline conditions throughout the state. Learn more about sampling and results at www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/water.htm.

DEP’s Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas is conducting water sampling under the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process. Learn more.

• Real-time sampling data from statewide air quality monitoring can be viewed at http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/air.htm. Air quality reports for July 9 revealed that air quality was considered good for ozone and moderate for fine particulate concentrations in Northwest Florida. “Good” means the air quality is satisfactory and air pollution poses little or no risk. “Moderate” means air quality is acceptable for most people.

Boom Placement:

• Approximately 447,400 feet of hard boom and 8,260 feet of sorbent boom have been placed in Northwest Florida along the most sensitive areas. Additionally, counties in the region are moving forward with supplemental booming plans. As of July 9, 316,261 feet of supplemental boom has been deployed or staged by Florida contractors.

Health Effects:

• The Florida Department of Health, in coordination with Gulf coast impacted counties, has issued new Oil Impact Notice guidance to provide beach visitors with health information when visiting Florida’s beaches. This replaces earlier guidance developed for issuing and rescinding health advisories along the coastline. Learn more.

Oil Impact Notices are posted for all Escambia County and Walton County Gulf beaches, as well as designated beaches in Okaloosa County. Signs may remain in place until local authorities determine that beaches are no longer impacted by the oil spill. Learn more.

• If residents or visitors see tar or oiled debris on the beach, DO NOT PICK IT UP. For most people, an occasional brief contact with a small amount of oil will not cause any harm, however it is not recommended. Learn more.

Fisheries & Seafood:

• The July 4 Gulf of Mexico federal fisheries closure remains in effect. The closure measures 81,181 square miles. This federal closure does not apply to any state waters and still leaves approximately 66 percent of Gulf federal waters available for fishing. Learn more.
• A portion of coastal state waters offshore of Escambia County is closed to the harvest of saltwater fish, crabs and shrimp. Learn more.
• To report oiled wildlife, please call 1-866-557-1401. For the safety of the public as well as the safety of animals, rescues should only be conducted by trained responders. Learn more.
• Visit http://bpdecon.com for a list of vessel decontamination locations for oiled boats within the U.S. Coast Guard Mobile Sector.

Learn More About Florida’s Response:

• Visit www.deepwaterhorizonflorida.com to learn more about Florida’s response to the Deepwater Horizon incident, sign up for daily updates, view tips for businesses and consumers, find a listing of Unified Command, BP and Florida phone numbers, and more.
• The Oil Spill Information Line is available at 1-888-337-3569 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. seven days a week. Persons with disabilities can contact 1-800-955-8771 (TDD) or 1-800-955-8770 (voice).

CONTACT: PUBLIC INFORMATION (ESF 14): (850) 921-0217

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